Cigarette extinguisher



Aug. 3, 1937. E. M. TIERNEY CIGARETTE EXTINGUISHER Original Filed Dec. 5, 1935 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 3, 1937 PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE EXTINGUISHER Edward M. Tierney, Washington, D. 0.

Application December 5. 1935, Serial No. 53,059

Renewed January 5, 1937 4 Claims.

This invention relates to cigarette extinguishers, and has for the primary object the provision of a simple, durable and efiicient device of this character which may be readily built into an ash receptacle whereby lighted cigarettes may be easily inserted therein and extinguished by smothering and then released for gravitation into the ash receptacle, thereby reducing fire hazards and the disagreeable odors from burning cigarettes when discarded.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly in section, showing an ash tray equipped with a cigarette extinguisher constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2' of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the extinguisher actuated to release a cigarette after the smothering thereof.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modified form of my invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral l indicates a body of a receptacle in which is formed a chamber 2 having a receiving opening 3. The body I has a rim 4 and slidably mounted between the rim and body I are superimposed annular members 5 and 5' provided at spaced intervals with aligned slots 6. The slots 6 normally align with cigarette passages 'I which extend through the rim and part of the body for communication with the chamber 2. The cigarette passages 1 where opening outwardly through the rim 4 are flared, as shown at 8, for the purpose of guiding cigarettes into the passages. Substantially conical shaped smothering elements, each consisting of sections 9 and 9f secured to the walls of the slots 6 of the annular members 5 and 5', depend into the cigarettemassages I which are located in the body I so that when cigarettes are inserted downwardly into the passages 'I the burning ends thereof will enter the substantially conical shaped elements and thereby become extinguished by smothering.

Each substantially conical shaped element includes a pair of sections, one secured to one of the members 5 and the other secured to the member 5' so that when said members 5 and 5 are rotated in opposite directions relative to each other, the sections will move apart and allow the smothered cigarette to gravitate into the chamber 2 of the receptacle.

Finger pieces I are formed on the members and 5' and operate in slots I I formed in the body I. The slots II are separated by a stop I2. A coil spring I3 is connected to the members 5 and 5, as shown at I4, and acts to move the members 5 and 5' in a direction to engage the sections of the substantially conical shaped elements. To open the sections of the substantially conical shaped elements the finger pieces III are moved in the direction of each other and into engagement with the stop I2 and will return to their initial position when released by the influence of the spring I3.

Instead of making the members 5 and. 5 of annular formation, and of a selected width, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, they may be made in the form of plates I5 and I5 arranged in superimposed relation and provided with slots I6 normally aligning with a cigarette passage I! of an ash receptacle I8. A substantially conical shaped smothering element depends in the passage I1 and includes the companion sections I9- and I9, one of which is integral with the walls of the slot of the plate I5 while the other is integral with the walls of the slot of the plate I5. The plates I5 and I5 are connected by a coil spring acting to position the sections of the smothering element in engagement with each other. The plates I5 and I5 at one end terminate in right angularly disposed finger pieces 2| whereby upon movement of said finger pieces towards each other the sections I9 and IQ of the smothering element will be separated to permit a cigarette smothered thereby to gravitate into the ash receptacle I8.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A cigarette extinguisher comprising slidable members having aligned slots, an extinguishing element formed on said members and including separable concaved sections, one carried by one member and the other carried by the other member to cooperate with each other in smothering a lighted cigarette when inserted therein and an operating means for moving said members to separate and engage the sections of the extinguishing element, said sections when separated forming a vertical passageway to receive the extinguished cigarette whereby the extinguished cigarette may gravitate through said passageway from the extinguishing element when the sections thereof are separated.

2. A cigarette extinguisher comprising superimposed slidable members having aligned slots, a substantially conical shaped extinguishing element formed on said members and including separable companion sections, one section carried by one member and the other section carried by the other member and adapted to cooperate with each other in smothering a lighted cigarette when inserted therein, spring means acting to urge the sections of the smothering element in engagement with each other, and manual means for eifecting separation of the sections 01 the smothering element.

3. A cigarette extinguisher comprising superimposed slidable members having aligned slots, a substantially conical shaped extinguishing element formed on said members and including separable companion sections, one section carried by one member and the other section carried by the other member and adapted to cooperate with each other in smothering a lighted cigarette when inserted therein, a coil spring connecting the members for urging the sections of the extinguishing element into engagement with each other, and finger pieces secured to said members for moving the latter relative to each other against the action of the spring to separate the sections of the extinguishing element.

4. In combination with an ash receptacle having a chamber and a passage communicative therewith, superimposed members slidably supported by the ash receptacle and having slots guishing element.

EDWARD M. TIERNEY. 

